Fărăgău Lake

Fărăgău Lake is a nature reserve in Mureş County, Transylvania, Romania.

The area is located in the hills of Transylvanian Plain, between Tg. Mureş and Reghin. The geological formations are Tertiary and Quaternary, frequently occurring Panonian and Sarmatian formations consisting of clays, marly clays and sands. The lake is situated in the valley on the NW-SE, with an inclination of 10° and at an altitude of 360 m. Situated in the Mureş River hydrographic basin, Fărăgău Lake was formed behind of a natural dam of sediments on Sar Rivulet, being the latest natural lake in Transylvania. In the years 1984-1987, the lake was transformed into fish pond. It has a total length of 750 m, total width of 350 m, maximum depth of 4.5 m and a layer of lacustrine deposits of 3-5 m.

Plant species on around the lake reveals a series of rarities such as: Sonchus paluster, Senecio paludorus, Lathyrus paluster, Epipactis palustris, Oenante silaifolia, Hammarby paludosa, and some rare hydrophyte species specific to this biotope as: Parnassos palustris, Sium latifolium, Rorippa anphibia, Oenante aquatica, Salix rosmarinifolia, asperula rivalis, Epilobium palustre, Triglochin palustre, Carex paniculata, Geranium palustre, etc. The reserve regime of the is motivated by the presence of the areas where peat moss (Sphagnum) form associations with the fern Dryopteris thelypteris.

In terms of fauna there are a number of rare species as: the ostracoda Darwinula Zimmer, relict of tropical origin, the frog species Rana arvalis weltersterffi, but the real reason for declaring the area as a protected area is that this lake with the whole downstream fish development are a great place of refuge and feeding grounds for many species of birds (about 180 species have been observed, of which 40 nesting species).